OAKLAND, CALIF. — Independent filmmaker Kevin Hahn admits he grew up “smoking pot and drinking beer.” And so it is that his feature debut, “Stoner’s Run,” follows the bumpy adventures of potheads trying to score. Think “Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke.” But the 37-year-old Hahn has other cinematic aspirations: He hopes to tell serious crime and drug stories à la Michael Mann’s 1995 epic, “Heat.”

And don’t think he’s not one to do it. The main character in “Stoner’s Run,” Bradley Newall (played by Andrés Sinohui), is based on Hahn’s own escapades as a “runner” — the person who scores weed. But Hahn’s experiences were never as dramatic as the one played out on screen, in which Bradley and his buddies — in their bumbling quest to buy marijuana — eventually fall into trouble with the law.

The story is more than just sinsemilla smoking, though it’s a prominent part of the movie. (Incidentally, none of the amateur actors in the film wanted to smoke pot on set, so they smoked “nasty herbal stuff” instead, according to Hahn). Bradley decides to give up selling drugs for his family. But first he has to make one final “stoner’s run,” during which he and his friends encounter various eccentric characters, from a flirty Asian American lesbian to the hardened “O.G.” Clarence to Goldie, the big-time drug dealer.

It’s a no-budget film in the truest sense. None of the actors were paid, most of the scenes were shot in friends’ living rooms, and many of the supplies were donated, from grip tape to food. (Hahn insisted that his friend harass local grocer Safeway until they eventually donated gift cards worth $150). In the end, the filmmaker spent about $3,500. That the movie finally came together is testament to Hahn’s dogged determination.

“He’s a dedicated artist,” said Danilo Daniel, the film’s electrician, who also played the role of a narcotics agent.

“Kevin’s very opinionated, but he’s a straight shooter,” said Peter Tripodi, who did the sound and also played a narcotics cop. “He’s a faithful friend. Hard to work with, but great to work with. He has a very clear idea of what he wants.”

Hours before the premiere of “Stoner’s Run” at Oakland’s Parkway Theater on a brisk Tuesday evening in November, Hahn, Daniel, Tripodi and other members of the cast and crew downed shots of Patron tequila and sipped apple martinis at the adjacent bar, Parkway Lounge. After three years of hard work, they were ready to celebrate.

Later, inside the Parkway Theater, Hahn and his crew made up a majority of the audience, which was about three-quarters full. When the movie started, it became clear from the cheers that many more people besides Hahn have a stake in its success. Some, like a 26-year-old aspiring rapper who goes by Spahonn (pronounced Spawn), had no involvement in the movie, but felt it represented a victory for him, too.